Sure of course, been fixing necks like this for fifty years

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Originally posted by desert rose

Sure of course, been fixing necks like this for fifty years

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What situation determines which method is most appropriate?

thanks! 

Planing the fingerboard is typically done if a lump has developed on the board or for a twist not a bow. If the banjo has a truss rod, the first step is adjusting it. If that does not work then heating the neck in a clamp system to set it in a slight back bow. Refretting with frets with larger tangs to wedge the neck back into shape is another option. Another rarely suggested technique is to remove the fingerboard, using a system of figs, pull the neck into a slight back bow and then reglue the fingerboard while in the jig. All these techniques take experience and results are not guaranteed 100 percent

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Originally posted by Banner Blue

Planing the fingerboard is typically done if a lump has developed on the board or for a twist not a bow. If the banjo has a truss rod, the first step is adjusting it. If that does not work then heating the neck in a clamp system to set it in a slight back bow. Refretting with frets with larger tangs to wedge the neck back into shape is another option. Another rarely suggested technique is to remove the fingerboard, using a system of figs, pull the neck into a slight back bow and then reglue the fingerboard while in the jig. All these techniques take experience and results are not guaranteed 100 percent

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Sighting down the fretboard (under string tension [.10,.11,.12.5,.20,.10]) the more noticeable bow starts around 7th fret to maybe 18th fret. 2-way truss rod is slightly tightened from neutral. If I tighten it, it starts to pull fretboard back from 1st fret to 7th fret...which then has the action too low in first position. 
Can this be remedied by planing and re-fretting? Seems like too much fretboard would be removed...and maybe first position inlays damaged. Am I thinking this through properly? 
thanks! 

I always heat treat neck bows with a heating rig I have. It is the least invasive procedure. I did see an episode of the British TV series 'Repair Shop' where a luthier hand planed a bowed Zither banjo fretboard. I have worked on quite a few of these over the years and have been successful with heat treating them. I have to admit that they procedures shown on the program are highly edited so the luthier may have tried the heat method first but was not successful. Just my thoughts!

I bought an expensive banjo at a substantial discount because the neck was too bowed even with the truss rod maxed out. I bought a thin metal bar at Lowes to clamp over the fingerboard. I clamped the neck to my workbench with a support under the center and c clamps at each end. I ran my heat gun over the metal bar and s..l..o..w..l..y tightened the clamps at each end. After a few minutes the bow was gone, and I was able to use the truss rod to apply the correct amount of relief to make the banjo playable again. It's not hard, you just have to be a little careful.

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Originally posted by sdfarris

I bought an expensive banjo at a substantial discount because the neck was too bowed even with the truss rod maxed out. I bought a thin metal bar at Lowes to clamp over the fingerboard. I clamped the neck to my workbench with a support under the center and c clamps at each end. I ran my heat gun over the metal bar and s..l..o..w..l..y tightened the clamps at each end. After a few minutes the bow was gone, and I was able to use the truss rod to apply the correct amount of relief to make the banjo playable again. It's not hard, you just have to be a little careful.

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Can you direct me to what the metal bar was ...when I shop Lowe's? 

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Originally posted by rupickin5

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Originally posted by sdfarris

I bought an expensive banjo at a substantial discount because the neck was too bowed even with the truss rod maxed out. I bought a thin metal bar at Lowes to clamp over the fingerboard. I clamped the neck to my workbench with a support under the center and c clamps at each end. I ran my heat gun over the metal bar and s..l..o..w..l..y tightened the clamps at each end. After a few minutes the bow was gone, and I was able to use the truss rod to apply the correct amount of relief to make the banjo playable again. It's not hard, you just have to be a little careful.

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Can you direct me to what the metal bar was ...when I shop Lowe's? 

Well it's been a few years but I'm pretty sure it was this one. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-6-in-x-24-in-Cold-Rolled-Steel-Solid/3050431#no_universal_links

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When using heat and clamps, what is intended is for the glue joint to soften between the fretboard and the neck allowing the two surfaces to slide over each other and eliminate the bow. Some banjos, depending on maker/repairer/restorer have the fretboard 'pinned' front and rear through a fret slot (before frets are installed) to keep the fretboard in position and stop it sliding while the two are clamped together while drying.
I once worked on an old banjo that would not respond to heat treatment (x3) to remove the bow. I ended up removing the fretboard from the rear using heat and a knife. All was going good until the 3rd fret when the fretboard suddenly released and flew off the neck. What I found was the 3rd fretwire tang was sitting in into the neck wood and producing a binding point which prevented the bow from being removed. (the fretboard was very thin).